Marchello Aria's page

About Marchello Aria

Marchello Aria

Backstory:

Some men anguish for a lifetime, searching for their destiny … others have it thrust upon them, whether they are ready or not …

Marchello grew up in Korvosa, the son of doting parents, whose love for each other transcended their racial divide. His parents were merchants of rare antiquities, especially rare books. They were always fascinated by tales of adventure or the knowledge to be gained hidden in vast tomes and passed this curiosity down to their son. They regularly ran caravan trains throughout Varisia in search of suppliers for rare trinkets, unique oddities and books.

One night on a trip between Korvosa and Harse as the family slept they were awoken by a group of savage fiends, not men, not quite alive but hungry for the flesh of the living. The family had unwittingly stopped and made camp near a long-forgotten graveyard. A group of hunger-crazed ghouls stumbled upon the unsuspecting family.

Marchello had been up late, reading a fantastic tale by candlelight as his parents slept. He had been warned to get to sleep, but he couldn’t pry himself away from the tale of a valiant paladin who had sworn to protect his village from an evil dragon. It was well about midnight when he needed to relieve himself and he made his way to a clearing about 30 yards from camp, where the moonlight illuminated the sparse foliage. Suddenly he heard faint moans and then the shrill sounds of terror – his mother’s voice … he ran back towards the camp, stopping short, hidden by an outcropping of rocks.

He saw his father’s fruitless efforts to fend them off and protect his mother. His heart stopped in terror, his limbs were paralyzed with fear. He saw the entire horrific attack, unable to turn away.

About the time his father made his last movement he heard the sounds of galloping horses, getting louder as they got closer. Two men, dressed in black robes with silver lining rode up, dismounted and engaged the two ghouls who were so occupied with their feast they failed to notice the men. One man made some motion with his hands and a bright light erupted from his hands toward them. The other drew a mace and brought it down upon one of the ghouls … in a few moments they had dispatched them and the camp fell silent.

Marchello emerged from the rocks and raced towards the bodies of his parents. One of the men caught him as he ran, holding him so that he faced the other direction , ‘they are gone son, I’m sorry’, Pharasma is guiding them now.

The two men took Marchello back to Korvosa, housed and nourished him at the temple. These two clerics and the priests became his adoptive family, the Temple of Pharasma his home, and their faith the basis for his studies. There he built on his knowledge, honed his skills and became a disciple in the service of his Deity. He would seek out and cure the world of undead evils in the name of his faith and his beloved parents.

He has learned to temper his rage and to take selective action - he doesn't run down every undead creature he sees, he's more calculating - realizing that many of the lesser beasts are a means to an end. He'd prefer to make deep cuts rather than just scratch the surface of his nemesis. He's studied hard and ready to put his book knowledge into practice. Marchello has been working towards this opportunity all of his life. While he is certainly a little bookish, he is neither slight nor awkward, and what he lacks in hands on experience, he more than makes up for in passion.

Tie in to the Professor:

He has excelled at his studies and performed well in his assigned duties and tasks. His talents and ambitions have not been lost on his superiors. Wishing to capitalize on his zeal and, in part as a reward, he has recently been informed that he will be stationed at the Temple of Pharasma in Caliphas. Everything about this assignment excites and enchants Marchello. Not only will he finally have a post where he can expect to see some real action on the front lines, but he will also be much closer to and be able to spend time face to face with Professor Lorrimar in nearby Ravengro.

He first met the Professor when he was 21, when the Professor was on a research trip that brought him to Korvosa. He was introduced to him and was assigned to be his assistant (errand boy) while he stayed there. For six weeks, as Marchello recounts it, the six best of his life, he followed him around with fascination. Research, tales of far off places, the knowledge he shared – Marchello ate up every moment with fascination. The Professor could see the voracious thirst for knowledge in the boy. He took to him immediately, his aptitude for study and sage senses reminding him of his own. They formed a strong bond over this time. Over the ensuing years they had kept in close touch by courier. Sharing discoveries and theories. Marchello was an envoy of sorts for him in this art of Varisia.

He has finally made his way to Caliphas. Once he arrives he is met with sad news. The Professor has passed away and he is to be dispatched immediately to Renvengro to attend the reading of his will. With a heavy heart, he sets off, buoyed by fond memories but deeply saddened that he will not get to see his scholastic mentor again. What could have happened, there was no mention of the circumstances surrounding his death. He had not mentioned illness or even fatigue in any of his letters. What could have happened? Who would continue on with his work?

Undead Slayer: Instructed at a young age in the tenets of your faith, you view the undead as abominations that must be destroyed, so their souls can journey beyond to be judged. You gain a +1 trait bonus on weapon damage against undead.

Subject of Study: Gain a +1 bonus on damage rolls against Undead.

Feats:

Weapon Focus Gain a +1 bonus on all attack rolls you make using a Heavy Mace.

Granted Powers: You see death not as something to be feared, but as a final rest and reward for a life well spent. The taint of undeath is a mockery of what you hold dear..

Gentle Rest (Sp): Your touch can fill a creature with lethargy, causing a living creature to become staggered for 1 round as a melee touch attack. If you touch a staggered living creature, that creature falls asleep for 1 round instead. Undead creatures touched are staggered for a number of rounds equal to your Wisdom modifier. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier.

Ward Against Death (Su): At 8th level, you can emit a 30-foot aura that wards against death for a number of rounds per day equal to your cleric level. Living creatures in this area are immune to all death effects, energy drain, and effects that cause negative levels. This ward does not remove negative levels that a creature has already gained, but the negative levels have no effect while the creature is inside the warded area. These rounds do not need to be consecutive.

Judgment (Su): Starting at 1st level, an inquisitor can pronounce judgment upon her foes as a swift action. Starting when the judgment is made, the inquisitor receives a bonus or special ability based on the type of judgment made.

At 1st level, an inquisitor can use this ability once per day. At 4th level and every three levels thereafter, the inquisitor can use this ability one additional time per day. Once activated, this ability lasts until the combat ends, at which point all of the bonuses immediately end. The inquisitor must participate in the combat to gain these bonuses. If she is frightened, panicked, paralyzed, stunned, unconscious, or otherwise prevented from participating in the combat, the ability does not end, but the bonuses do not resume until she can participate in the combat again.

When the inquisitor uses this ability, she must select one type of judgment to make. As a swift action, she can change this judgment to another type. If the inquisitor is evil, she receives profane bonuses instead of sacred, as appropriate. Neutral inquisitors must select profane or sacred bonuses. Once made, this choice cannot be changed.

Destruction: The inquisitor is filled with divine wrath, gaining a +1 sacred bonus on all weapon damage rolls. This bonus increases by +1 for every three inquisitor levels she possesses.

Healing: The inquisitor is surrounded by a healing light, gaining fast healing 1. This causes the inquisitor to heal 1 point of damage each round as long as the inquisitor is alive and the judgment lasts. The amount of healing increases by 1 point for every three inquisitor levels she possesses.

Justice: This judgment spurs the inquisitor to seek justice, granting a +1 sacred bonus on all attack rolls. This bonus increases by +1 for every five inquisitor levels she possesses. At 10th level, this bonus is doubled on all attack rolls made to confirm critical hits.

Piercing: This judgment gives the inquisitor great focus and makes her spells more potent. This benefit grants a +1 sacred bonus on concentration checks and caster level checks made to overcome a target's spell resistance. This bonus increases by +1 for every three inquisitor levels she possesses.

Protection: The inquisitor is surrounded by a protective aura, granting a +1 sacred bonus to Armor Class. This bonus increases by +1 for every five inquisitor levels she possesses. At 10th level, this bonus is doubled against attack rolls made to confirm critical hits against the inquisitor.

Purity: The inquisitor is protected from the vile taint of her foes, gaining a +1 sacred bonus on all saving throws. This bonus increases by +1 for every five inquisitor levels she possesses. At 10th level, the bonus is doubled against curses, diseases, and poisons.

Resiliency: This judgment makes the inquisitor resistant to harm, granting DR 1/magic. This DR increases by 1 for every five levels she possesses. At 10th level, this DR changes from magic to an alignment (chaotic, evil, good, or lawful) that is opposite the inquisitor's. If she is neutral, the inquisitor does not receive this increase.

Resistance: The inquisitor is shielded by a flickering aura, gaining 2 points of energy resistance against one energy type (acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic) chosen when the judgment is declared. The protection increases by 2 for every three inquisitor levels she possesses.

Smiting: This judgment bathes the inquisitor's weapons in a divine light. The inquisitor's weapons count as magic for the purposes of bypassing damage reduction. At 6th level, the inquisitor's weapons also count as one alignment type (chaotic, evil, good, or lawful) for the purpose of bypassing damage reduction. The type selected must match one of the inquisitor's alignments. If the inquisitor is neutral, she does not receive this bonus. At 10th level, the inquisitor's weapons also count as adamantine for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction (but not for reducing hardness).

Monster Lore (Ex): The inquisitor adds her Wisdom modifier on Knowledge skill checks in addition to her Intelligence modifier, when making skill checks to identify the abilities and weaknesses of creatures.

Orisons: Inquisitors learn a number of orisons, or 0-level spells, as noted on Table 2–4 under “Spells Known.” These spells are cast like any other spell, but they are not expended when cast and may be used again. Orisons prepared using other spell slots, such as those due to metamagic feats, are expended normally.

Stern Gaze (Ex): Inquisitors are skilled at sensing deception and intimidating their foes. An inquisitor receives a morale bonus on all Intimidate and Sense Motive checks equal to 1/2 her inquisitor level (minimum +1).